Device for making snow



Nov. 28, 1961 F, BARRETT DEVICE FOR MAKING snow Filed Oct. 10, 1958 FIG.5.

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United States Patent 3,010,660 DEVICE FOR MAKING SNOW Francis Barrett,RED. 2, Carmel, N.Y. Filed Oct. 10, 1958, Ser. No. 766,621 4 Claims.(Cl. 239-434) This invention relates to a device for making snow.

An object of this invention is to provide an improved apparatus of thecharacter described, which will make snow in such a way that it will notfreeze at low temperatures, it having been found that prior artificialsnowmaking devices have a tendency to freeze when the temperature getsdown to about 20 F. or lower.

Another object of this invention is to provide an apparatus of thecharacter described, for artificially making snow, an elongated tubularbody, tapered at its inlet and outlet ends, with means to supply airunder pressure and Water under pressure to the inlet end, such aconstruction permitting snow to be formed inside the body and to comeout in spray form from the outlet end of the body.

Another object of this invention is to provide a strong, rugged anddurable device which is relatively inexpensive to manufacture, easy tomanipulate, and which shall yet be practical and efficient to a highdegree and use.

Other objects of this invention will in part be obvious and in parthereinafter pointed out.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction,combination of elements, and arrangement of parts, which shall beexemplified in the construction hereinafter described, and of which thescope of invention will be indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawings in which is shown various illustrativeembodiments of this invention,

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the apparatus embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view thereof;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line 3-3 of FIG.1;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line 44 of FIG.1; and

FIG. 5 is a partial side elevational view illustrating the support ofthe body of the apparatus.

Referring now in detail to the drawing, designates the apparatusembodying the invention for making snow. The same comprises a body 11,which may be made of metal, and is elongated and tapers to narrowingcrosssection at both ends. The body 11 is hollow or tubular and may beof round cross-section. At its front end the body 11 is formed with aninternally threaded outlet tubular portion 12, and at its rear end withan internally threaded tubular inlet portion 13. The body 11 between theportions 12 and 13 may be of longitudinal curved shape being widest atits middle and narrowest at its end. The body comprises a mixing chamberas will appear hereinafter.

Screwed to the front end portion 12 is a short outlet nipple 15constituting a discharge nozzle. Screwed to the rear end 13 is a shortnipple 16 to which is screwed a T- connection or fitting '17. TheT-connection has one end or branch 18 screwed at the nipple 16 and anopposite end or branch 19. The T-connection 17 has a branch at rightangles to the branches 18 and 19. Screwed to the branch 19 is an elbow21 to which is screwed a nipple 22. Connected to the nipple 22 is acompressed air line 23 which may carry compressed air, at about 100pounds pressure, to the apparatus.

Screwed to the branch 20 is a nipple 25, to which is attached a waterline 26, which may supply water, at from 60-80 pounds pressure, to theapparatus.

The body or mixing chamber 11 may be supported in upwardly inclinedposition on a leg support 30. Leg supice port 30 may comprise a pair ofoutwardly inclined legs 31 interconnected by a cross-brace 32. The upperends of the legs 31 are interconnected by a curved portion 33 which mayengage the body 11, being received between a pair of spaced abutments 34on the underside of said body.

It is found that when the temperature is below freezing a supply of airunder pressure and water under pressure, as indicated, will result insnow coming out in spray form from the discharge nozzle 15. The snow isformed within the mixing chamber 1'1 and comes out in the form of aspray. It has been found that in the present apparatus snow is createdin a way that it will not freeze at low temperatures, that is, below 20F.

The body 11 may be about 60 inches in length and about 4 /2 inches indiameter at the middle. The discharge nozzle 15 may be a inch pipe. Theinlet member 16 may be a 1 inch pipe. The T-connection 17 may also beabout a 1 inch T. The elbow 21 may also be substantially a 1 inch elbow.It is preferable that about a foot in length at opposite ends of thebody taper more sharply than the portion inbetween.

It will thus be seen that there is provided an apparatus in which theseveral objects of this invention are achieved and which is well adaptedto meet the condition of practical use.

As possible embodiments might be made of the above invention, and asvarious changes might be made in the embodiment above set forth, it isto be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in theaccompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in alimiting sense.

I claim:

1. An apparatus for making snow comprising an elongated tubular bodytapering downwardly at both ends and formed with an inlet opening at oneend and an outlet opening at the opposite end, a nipple screwed to theinlet end of the body, a T having a branch screwed to the nipple, anelbow screwed to the opposite branch of the T, means to supply air underpressure, attached to said elbow, and means to supply water underpressure attached to the oifset branch of said T.

2. An apparatus for making snow comprising an elongated tubular bodytapering toward opposite ends, a T- connection having a pair of oppositealigned branches, and a third branch at right angles to said pair ofbranches, one of said pair of branches being attached to one end of thebody, means to supply water under pressure to said third branch of theT, an elbow having one branch attached to the other of said pair ofbranches of the T, and means attached to the other branch of said elbow,to supply air under pressure to said elbow.

3. Apparatus for making snow comprising an elongated tubular body ofcurved longitudinal cross-section narrowing outwardly toward itsopposite ends, a restricted outlet nozzle attached to one end of thebody, an inlet conduit attached to the opposite end of the body andextending longitudinally of the body, a second conduit at an angle tothe first conduit and communicating therewith, means to supply waterunder pressure to the second conduit, and a third conduit at an angle tothe first conduit and ofiset longitudinally from the second conduit, andcommunicating with the first conduit and means to supply air underpressure to the third conduit.

4. The combination of claim 3, in combination with means to support saidbody in an upwardly and forwardly inclined position, said meanscomprising a support inclined upwardly and rearwardly and having anupper end engaging the underside of the body closer to the forward upperend of the body than to its rear lower end.

(References on following page) References Cited in the file of thispatent UNITED STATES PATENTS Schaefer Nov. 17, 1925 Blaw Apr. 24, 1928Tracy June :12, 1934 Soaper Aug. 26 1941 4 Johnson Jan. 26, 1943 KigginsIan. 9, 1945 Ravine July 26, 1949 Gillespieet al. Feb. 12, 1952 PierceApr. 27, 1954 va ssilkovsky Sept. 4, 1956

